Soo Udong 수우동 (Hallim-eup, Hyupjae Beach, Jeju City)

I was going through some of my photographs recently and couldn’t believe all the photos that I’ve compiled over the past two years. I seriously have enough pictures that would not only last a lifetime worth of memories, but they’re enough to impress even the most professional photographer out there (e.g. Humans of Seoul, The Haenyeo Diaries, etc…). By the way, I’d be first to tell you that I am as amateur as it gets. Getting to the point……wandering through all the photos paid off big time. I was getting desperate trying to find a restaurant for this week’s food segment on Arirang’s Wonders of Jeju after a surprisingly disappointing visit to a recommended restaurant in my neighborhood. To my good fortune, there were plenty of great restaurants that I had yet to introduce nicely hidden away in my “other folder.”

My girlfriend and I visited this lovely udon noodle restaurant last summer near Hyupjae Beach in Hallim (40 minute drive west of Jeju City). Although it’s been about a year since we visited, memorable food experiences are never forgotten. The place was inviting, homey, and very clean – taking the look and feel of a remodeled and upgraded home with magnificent ocean front views. The food was on point in taste and presentation, and it was made even better watching the owner work the dough for our noodles. Simply put, the entire place had such a good vibe to it, a feng shui vibe that literally made me want to meditate during my meal. Another aspect that really impressed me was the hospitable service of the waitstaff and owners despite the lunch rush hour. Many busy establishments can’t hold service in these types of hectic conditions, but our young server did a great job composing herself throughout our meal. Honestly, I would love to go into details about the food here, but since I’m no expert in Japanese cuisine (some may call it Koreanized Japanese cuisine), I’ll let the pictures do the talking for now. 🙂

“Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.” ~ Voltaire